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November Tradition: Family Gratitude Jar Tutorial

By Jennifer Tanner11/01/2013

November marks the beginning of the holiday season and brings with it its own beauty – colorful falling leaves, colder temperatures and crisp air. Families gather together and celebrations begin. There is an excitement that spreads and we tend to start reflecting on the year gone by.

Thanksgiving is a special time to focus on gratitude. There are so many ways we can be thankful every day, and I love finding new ideas that help me teach my children to be grateful and to focus on their many blessings.

Our gratitude jar has become a treasured family tradition. We set it out on November 1st, and each day we all write something we are grateful for. It can be anything – big or small. We drop it in the jar, and as the days go by we watch our blessings fill up the jar to overflowing. On Thanksgiving Day, we read them. We read them and laugh, and cry, and we are reminded of all the hidden joys in our lives. We use them as place cards on our Thanksgiving table and we hang them around the house as decorations. It’s a beautiful tradition that reminds us of the power of being grateful and the abundance and joy that gratitude brings.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:

- Any type of jar
- Gratitude lettering (We used vinyl lettering but you can make your label out of paper, chalk, markers – anything! You can also use a different word other than Gratitude – Blessings, Thankful etc.)
- Ruler
- Paper
- Paper cutter
- Pens or pencils
- Optional: twine and mini-clothes pins

Step 1: Label your jar. If you are using vinyl lettering, make sure your jar is clean, and use a ruler as your guide. Press the lettering on and carefully peel off the backing.

Step 2: Choose some favorite paper and using a paper cutter, cut your gratitude paper slips. These can be any size you like. (We cut ours 4x4).

Step 3: Gather your pens and pencils and display them near the jar, along with your slips of paper.

That’s it! A simple centerpiece for your home for the month of November, and happy decorations on Thanksgiving day!

What are you grateful for? Create your jar and grab some paper. Fill up your gratitude jar, and your heart, to overflowing this month of Thanksgiving!

Here at Get Away Today, we are grateful for so many things, including all of our wonderful guests who let us help create magical memories with their loved ones. We love being a part of your family's vacation memories - the kind that you want to write about for your gratitude jar. We give huge thanks for you and wish you all the best this holiday season! If you want to give a gift your whole family will be grateful for check out any of our Disneyland packages! Book online or call us at 855-GET-AWAY.